Luka Doncic’s press conference comments have drawn LeBron James comparisons, after he signed a $165 million extension with the LA Lakers.
Doncic’s extension keeps him with the Lakers for another three seasons. There were doubts that Doncic would re-sign after the Lakers lost Dorian Finney-Smith in a messy departure. Still, the Slovenian superstar will remain a Laker for the foreseeable future.
Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The Lakers should be contenders for the upcoming NBA title. James remains a Laker despite the offseason drama, and they made offseason additions to help them compete. Doncic said something recently which made an NBA expert think back to a conversation he had with James.
In his press conference with the Lakers, which took place shortly after the announcement of Doncic’s extension, he talked about winning a championship: “I don’t want to wait. I had a taste of the Finals. I am getting back there. So let’s do whatever we can now.”
Former NBA reporter Chris Broussard, reflecting on a conversation he had with James during his first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, said Doncic reminded him of James with those comments.
On First Things First, Broussard said, “I talked to LeBron when he had Delonte West, Mo Williams and those guys. He was like, ‘Man, we got a squad.’ He really believed he could win the championship, which I loved. That’s what I want.”
James made the NBA Finals unexpectedly in 2009, carrying a Cleveland team with no other All-Stars to a 66–16 record and the number one seed in the NBA. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer believed he could win the title with that team, according to Broussard, which reminds him of Doncic.
Broussard continued, “I love the fact that [Doncic] said, ‘I think we have enough to win it all’. Whether they do or not, I do think they’re in that top tier. I think OKC, Houston, Denver, Minnesota, and the Lakers. I put them right in that group.”
The LA Lakers can win the NBA championship, says Chris Broussard
The Lakers have had a turbulent, yet productive, summer. They needed a centre, so they signed DeAndre Ayton. They needed wing defence after losing Dorian Finney-Smith, so they signed Marcus Smart.
James was considering leaving the Lakers, but now it appears he is set to stay. LA brought in pieces and kept their star duo together. Now they eye a championship.
Chris Broussard evaluated the Lakers’ title chances, saying, “If Luka Doncic has LeBron James playing at an All-NBA level, and of course, that has to happen with LeBron’s age.
“You’ve got a centre who, for all his issues, is still 16 points and 10 rebounds for his career. You don’t sleepwalk into 16 and 10. Luka helped recruit DeAndre; he’s going to be good. He’s going to be on the end of a lot of those lobs from Luka.
“Then you’ve got another 20-point scorer in Austin Reeves. He recruited Marcus Smart, and we’ll see what Marcus Smart can do at this stage of his career.”
“I think they’ve got a nice squad, and Luka didn’t feel like he had enough, or even say it, I would be like, ‘Are you all I think you are?’ He should believe that.”
They have every chance. Doncic, who looks in the shape of his life after a body transformation this offseason, could be league MVP. Depending on how long James can fend off father time, they could have the best duo in the NBA.
With a solid supporting cast, they must be considered a contender for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s throne.